Valen returned to his room at the Amber Hearth and, for the first time in weeks, slept without nightmares.
A full, uninterrupted sleep.
Two days passed quickly.
He trained from dawn until dusk, pushing his body far beyond its limits.
His control over the Blood Blade had improved:
his swings cut deeper,
his aura gathered faster,
and the wounds he inflicted refused to close — a curse-like trait of the technique.
But the Blood Blade had limits.
It fed on his blood, not mana.
And since he couldn't spend his days cutting living things, he had to train in short, controlled sessions to avoid fainting.
Still, progress was progress.
When the day finally came, he washed up, put on clean clothes, strapped his sword to his hip, and walked to the Adventurers' Guild.
Guild Entrance
Daphne, Lyra, and Elliot were already waiting outside.
Lyra raised a brow.
"You're late, Captain."
Valen smirked.
"Let's go inside.
Our journey is about to start."
Excitement flickered in all of their eyes.
They entered the guild hall together.
The clerk lady immediately noticed Valen and hurried over, bowing slightly.
"Young Lord Valen, your Adventurer Card is ready."
She handed it over with both hands.
Daphne smiled politely.
Lyra muttered under her breath:
"Of course… even here royalty gets special treatment."
Daphne elbowed her in the ribs.
"We don't talk behind our captain's back, right Lyra?"
Lyra crossed her arms and clicked her tongue but said nothing.
Valen pretended not to hear.
They were in a good mood —
and Lyra was simply teasing him anyway.
The Board
Elliot spoke first.
"S-So… we go to the mission board now, right?"
Daphne nodded.
"Yes. D-rank board for us."
They approached the large wooden wall filled with parchment sheets.
Dozens of missions —
but most of them were disappointing.
"Missing cat."
"Help repair a wagon wheel."
"Clean out a storage shed."
"Deliver herbs."
Lyra groaned.
"These are chores, not missions…"
Then Elliot pointed to one sheet that looked different.
"Ah—here! Wolf Hunt."
Daphne grabbed it eagerly.
"A nearby village is requesting help. Several wolves have gone rabid and are attacking livestock."
Valen checked the details.
"Good pay. Clear objective. Manageable danger."
"This is perfect for our first mission."
They all nodded.
Daphne marched toward the counter to get more details.
The rest followed.
The clerk lady explained:
The village was half a day away.
Wolves were seen in groups of three to five.
A villager was injured last week.
If not handled soon, they might attack the village itself.
Valen thanked her.
He folded the mission sheet and turned to his team.
"Pack your things.
We head out at dawn."
Their eyes lit up —
excitement, fear, and ambition mixing together.
The first mission of their lives as a party had officially begun.
Chapter: First Hunt
They met at dawn, the sky still wrapped in pale blue and fading stars.
After brief greetings, they started their journey toward the small village known as Forks.
As they walked along the forest path, Valen took charge.
"Before we get there, we're assigning positions.
Daphne — you're the scout and our backline support.
Elliot — you're the mage, so you stay behind Daphne.
Lyra and I will take the front."
Daphne nodded proudly.
Lyra smirked.
Elliot pushed up his sleeve, trying to look confident.
Valen continued:
"We'll keep anything from getting past us.
You two focus on arrows and spells. Elliot, how many fireballs can you cast?"
Elliot took a moment, counting with his fingers.
"About… thirty single-target fireballs.
But if I use a large-scale one, that number drops to three.
After that I'll need mana potions.
I have two on me right now, so it should be enough for a mission like this."
Valen nodded, honestly impressed.
"Good. That works."
Their steps grew lighter.
Small talk replaced tension.
Daphne pointed out birds;
Lyra complained about the morning cold;
Elliot kept tripping over roots;
Valen quietly observed all of them.
Arrival at Forks
Forks was a humble farming village.
Smoke rose from chimneys, and the smell of wet earth filled the air.
The village elder greeted them and explained everything:
Wolves had been attacking livestock for weeks.
The creatures were unusually aggressive.
Their den — the "Wolves' Inn" — lay roughly 15 kilometers north.
Valen thanked him, and the group headed out.
The Wolves' Inn
They found the den nestled between tilted pines and boulders covered in moss.
Growls echoed inside.
Valen drew his blade.
The Blood Blade didn't flare visibly —
but its presence was felt, sharp and cold.
"Stay alert."
The first wolf lunged from the shadows.
Valen met it halfway.
His blade cut through fur and bone with such speed that it barely looked like he moved at all.
If someone wasn't focused, they would've missed the swing entirely.
Lyra dashed beside him. She stepped forward gracefully, planting her back foot, and thrust her spear upward in a direct line.
The point pierced the wolf's throat with a heavy, wet sound.
She spun her spear and forced a second wolf back with a sweeping strike.
Her movements were quick, unpredictable.
Daphne stayed behind the front line, shooting arrow after arrow.
None missed.
Elliot's fireballs exploded with loud cracks, burning through the wolves' flank.
It was cleaner than expected.
Quick.
Efficient.
Deadly.
When the last wolf fell, silence overtook the forest.
They had succeeded.
Returning to the Guild
By late evening, they reached the Adventurers' Guild once more.
They handed in the mission sheet and received their reward — a surprisingly generous amount.
Valen divided it evenly without hesitation.
No one objected.
Daphne stretched her arms upward and declared:
"We should celebrate our first victory at Pig's Song!
Come on, it'll be fun!"
Lyra grinned.
Elliot immediately agreed.
Valen only shrugged, but the small smile on his face betrayed him.
Together, the four walked toward the familiar noise and warmth of Pig's Song, ready to enjoy the night.
( If you're enjoying Valen's journey, please add it to your Library — it helps a lot! )